Why You Should Vacation While Grieving?

Grief is a natural response to loss. When your something or someone you love is taken away for whatever reason, you suffer emotionally. Apart from the death of a loved one – often recognised as the most intense type of grief – other causes of grief can include a divorce or a breakup of a relationship, loss of health, losing a job or financial stability, a miscarriage, the death of a pet, or even retirement or selling the a cherished property, such as a family home. When someone you love experiences a serious illness, or when you lose the feeling of safety after a trauma, you can also suffer from grief. It is widely understood that the intensity of a person’s grief is directly proportional to how significant the loss is.

Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience, so everybody grieves differently. Grief counselling sessions can help tremendously, but there are other, more creative ways to cope with grief. Going on a vacation while you are grieving can help keep your mind – albeit temporarily – distracted from thoughts that make you sad. The novelty of being in a new place can also usher in feelings of hope and awaken one’s curiosity and sense of adventure. Going away for a vacation, whether for the weekend or for a longer period of time, also allows you to have a much-needed change in environment so that there are less factors reminding you of the very reason why you are grieving. That change in environment can re-invigorate you, and, more importantly, allow you to have the time and space you need to process the roller coaster of emotions that typically come with grieving.

Getaway Options For When You Need Peace of Mind

Planning a vacation when you are grief-stricken can be a challenge, but it is definitely doable. The planning process itself have positive effects on one’s outlook, as it gives you something to look forward to. However, one must be careful not to get too stressed out during the planning process, which is why it is best to do this with someone you trust. Planning this along with somebody else also ensures that all relevant details are taken care of (such as drawing up a budget and arranging travel documents), so you don’t have to worry about everything on your own.

Some of your options can include the following:

• A Beach Vacation
There’s just something about the sand, sun, and sea to instantly calm your nerves and promote feelings of serenity and tranquillity. A beach vacation, preferably at a resort that is not crowded, can give you your much-needed peace and quiet, and lets you get a tan while you’re at it. This is perfect for those who need to unwind, de-stress, and want slow, unhurried days.

• A Cruise
Going on a cruise is like enjoying the perks of staying at a luxury hotel, while getting the whole island-hopping experience. This is perfect for when you want to meet new people and visit new places within a short period of time.

• A Culinary Tour
Because there is a burgeoning foodie scene in just about any country in the world nowadays, eating has been elevated into an art form. The best way to learn about a country’s culture is through its food, so why not travel to a place – Paris, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and New York, New Orleans, and Napa Valley in the US come to mind – and savour the best food they offer? If you want to a more “hands-on” experience, you can try enquiring about local cooking classes so you can later recreate the dishes you enjoyed the most at home. It has also been said that really good food can cure anything, even a broken heart, so why not test that theory? While this does not take the place of counselling services, it sure is a very tasty way to distract yourself from getting too sad, hence the term, “eating your feelings.”

Whether you choose to travel alone or with a companion is completely up to you. You must keep in mind that your safety always has to come first, and that you should take your time and not put any pressure on yourself.

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